Census uses "Negro" on 2010 survey

Jeeez, how things change. When I was growin' up Negro was not a "four letter word". Then all of a sudden the etymology of the word changed at the snap of a finger. Which seems weird considering many other cultures, without intention of antagonism, use the term to describe something as dark in color or the color black. That's all it means. Negro Modelo is a popular Mexican beer. It simply means "black model" or "dark model"

oops ...

If it really, really bothers you, don't fill it out.

I still don't get why we're calling each other anything. Or having to name our race. The only place that seems useful would be to describe a specific person that you would like to indicate in a crowd: "You need to speak with the white-haired lady over there." or "the man in the blue shirt," "the black man," "the light-skinned black man," "the thin woman," etc.

I agree MoonLoon. Aren't we ignoring the plight of all Americans focusing too much on what we perceive to be racial disparities or demographics?

I am going to give this a shot at the risk of being castigated by many members. In the late 50"s and most of the 60"s, "Negro" was an acceptable and respected name for black Americans. "Nigger" was acknowledged as an insult by both whites and blacks. "Honkie", "Cracker", "White Boy", was an attempt by black Americans to insult white Americans, while trying to get some payback, for being called niggers. The use of the term Afro/American did not achieve popularity, until the mid 70"s, which it is now widespread and accepted as proper and non offensive term to refer to black Americans. Yet still we labor over name calling, while ignoring the real issues of poverty, jobs, gang violence, education, and a future for our children! Bravo!

It's great that you actually respect black people, by the way you and the other guy talked, you would think that all black people are bad. If you felt I was a liar or wouldn't pray for you, then why did you send me that link to that medical stuff?

I think you have issues, but it's okay, you're just at a different stage of your spiritual growth. When you actually want to see things in this world as a spiritual battle, not wrestling with flesh and blood and racial issues, maybe you will move through your anger and direct it toward the government, something to exact God's will for your life appropriately, instead of being angry at me when I totally acknowledge how you feel!

Good day to all!

No actually Gravity__Man, that's in a book called: "Natural Cures "they" Don't Want You to Know About" by Kevin Trudeau.

No one's trying to trip you up. We actually agree on many things, some of which are tied into this health care legislation too.

It strips funding for Native Americans. Why should people who get welfare: food stamps and a check, and free college get free health care too? Just because they're black?

Thank you, I will read it and pray over it. This is the same methods that I choose to treat my own health, and they should be used. DMSO is a curative for cancer and used in Mexico, but they won't legalize it here because they can't patent it/make money off of it.

Thank you very much!

I got two racially charged comments in my inbox just now, blaming me for explaining racial designations. We have the same problems here in GA, that you have in your state, we have black people riding the "AFFIRMATIVE ACTION GRAVY TRAIN" at the 9-1-1 call center, sleeping at their desks. I plan to attack this issue. We have a new mayor and what must go for whites must go for blacks. Vernon Jones is being audited for hiring only blacks. The former Mayor Franklin ran Atlanta into the ground, and she's mixed like Obama.... is that just coincidence? Oh my bad, Obama isn't even a U.S. citizen !!

The issue is to make sure that everyone is getting the representation and money alloted to them by federal funds. A lot of of white Native Americans are not getting representation, because they don't check mixed or they don't check Native American, because they think it is skin color, or white. We want to also protect our country by knowing who and what we're giving federal dollars to, by not appropriating funds to people who are terrorists or who support terrorists. Once we can better appropriate federal dollars, then we can stop state budget shortfalls, and this means better services to everyone for the taxes that they pay into the system. This is an issue of fiscal accountability, not racial discrimination.

I think the whole situation was blown out of proportion. The census did their research as stated in the article. They found that it was placing others who were not of African descent but of the same race out of the "loop" it was not to offend people and even says that there are still people out there that refer to themselves as "Negro", would you want to offend them if they don't classify themselves as black or African American? Negro is just another word to refer to the same group. Why have such a tissy over a word? makes no sense, just because you may not agree with it doesn't mean it isn't right...we all have different views of what is or isn't right and the census is trying to please everyone while trying to conduct a study, so cut them some slack. No one said you had to refer to yourself as a "Negro".

No one seems to mind when Harry Reid says it.

American Negro Imported Colored People Descendants make Whitey say -and write- the full name every time! on every Census form, every college report, every history book, every map, every New York Times article, every National Geographic magazine and documentary.

Well. I think the principle rule for determining intent is to confirm the purpose. Does this sound redundant? In the case of this subject, the evolution of ethnic identification "use" in America began with racial intent. However. The current usage, although containing fragments of the racial intent, has evolved to a much more broader discipline. For an example; the current burden of terrorism has afforded the American government the need to aquire specfic detail of all citizens and supposed citizens of her country. Now. Whether or not this is racist is un-important. The benefit heavily out-weighs the deficit. Only in the case of loss to my right to liberity will i contend a mere use of racial terminology.

Why is everyone so afraid to put the "i" in nigger? LOL you think you could refer to a word without people flipping out, especially when the context is actually TALKING ABOUT slurs and their history.

http://www.rsdb.org/

Figure this might be a good reference for everyone. Break out those asterisks! We don't want to offend anyone! Oh noes!!!

Oh, no. *FACEPALM*

Maybe Glen Beck had something to do with it. According to his dumb ass, "African-American" isn't a race anyway. Have to replace it with something!

Hay lets us "COLORED PEOPLE". I think that there might be a group that use the term.

Grow up, people.

Here, I won't argue with you. I'll let Martin Luther King settle this argument. He uses the word with pride, not revulsion, shame or insult.

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. "
MLK, "I have a dream"

It appears that our educational system has failed the majority of people on this thread.

First of all, it was African kings who sold their own people to Europeans to keep their wealth, and to prevent Europe from invading Africa and taking it over. So stop blaming the Europeans when your own people sold you to them, and African kings continued selling Africans as slaves to Muslim countries for 10 centuries.

The "white" people of today haven't enslaved you, cracked a whip on you, or held you back over the last 50yrs., and you have had the same opportunities to become civilized instead of tribal and become educated. If you don't like it here, go back to Africa, like Lincoln originally had decided to emancipate and give you a one-way ticket back.

Furthermore, the Native Americans had their land stolen from them and they were killed just so African slaves would have a job picking cotton, working for wealthy Europeans. If it were up to me, I would just ask everyone to leave, but now all kinds of people have been born here, which makes you American, something unique that you must understand your heritage and how to live at peace with one another, despite your past and cultural differences:

I describe a person as black, ethnic, tribal, African American, or black American. A person born here, who happens to be black, is not an AFRICAN by birth. They are American.

Obama could explain this well for all of you: his mother was white and his father was black and a native of Kenya. Ask him where he was born and who raised him before his mother was of age, as she was too young to even apply for his birth certificate in Hawaii. Obama was born in Kenya. Therefore, he identifies with the African race more so than the white race, and he despises racist white people.
(The fact that Obama is black and white doesn't bother me, other than the fact he isn't a legal U.S. citizen and never should've been our President, as required by our Constitution. I don't hate him because his skin is a little darker than mine when I have a tan. I don't hate him because he's part white, and I don't call him an oreo or a half-breed just because he's mixed, as I'm mixed too.)

I describe a person as white, European, or white American. A person born here, who happens to be white, is not EUROPEAN by birth. They are American.

I describe a person as brown or red, Indian or Native American. A person born here, whose ancestors were here, who didn't immigrate into this country is not aboriginal but Native American.

I don't use the term "cracker" and I very rarely use the word "n*gger", as black people are not "n*ggers" just because they're black. The word n*gger I reserve for someone who has contemptible behavior of any race, and it is the lowest of the lowest of insults, and it is not a word that you throw around lightly. Expect that when you use it that you're courting a fight.

I don't prefer to use the word Negro, unless I'm speaking Spanish, as negro means black or black people. Negro is a general term to describe people displaced by slavery and makes no distinction of tribe. I wouldn't like someone calling me "Injun", which is equivalent to calling a Chinese person "Chink", and I would prefer to be called Cherokee.

It's just an old term, I don't think the Census Bureau meant to offend anyone. I work at a subsidized housing unit for low income disabled and elderly people and one of residents calls me colored and that doesn't offend me, it's just what she grew up using; my grandmother uses it sometimes.

85,000 jobs disappeared last December, a good thing too so they'll all have time to fill out the Census forms correctly. 85,000 represents a quarter of a million minimum affected in families. The cardboard box people must be hiring like crazy. We need to put in an order for more bridge underpasses tho.

I bet a bunch of em are Negros & the rest must be Orientals. Real Americans have plenty of jobs.

Mongoloid, Caucasoid, Negroid. That pretty much nails it right there.

United Negro College Fund. Are you going to tell them or am I?

At least it isn't Melenzana.

The Census insults everybody. I would rather put my finger to ink and press it in a box.

This is bull shit. The term "Negro" as a race is as valid as "Caucasian" for white people. Negro MEANS black, for Pete's sake. There's no problem here except from you bleeding hearts who WANT to find a problem. Get a LIFE, people! Grow the hell UP!!

Progresshiv,

You're close, and I am impressed, but in truth, neither are correct ."Black" and "Negro" actually mean the same thing.Negro is only Latin for Black. I truly am neither.In truth,both names are brand names given to Dark skinned people who supposedly are from Africa.They have nothing to do with ethnicity or description of race.Nothing at all. Both of those names were given to us by Caucasians (so-called White people).For the sake of society, I used them, but I honor neither of the two because I know my true history. I'm considered to be African American, however the truth of my identity, as well as most of the darker skinned people in America that are assumed to Black, is really Moorish.Contrary to myth as well is that, as opposed to all of the so-called Black people in America being from the continent of Africa, we're actually Asiatic.A) Africa was once part of the Asian continent, and B) the continent was Africa was named after a British colonist.That being said, a free people can never truly be free if the people are still taking on names given to them by others.How many of you, would allow me to give you your race a name ? That's what we do to animals when we make them our pets for the sake of control. Every race of people on the planet except the so-called Negro has named itself.
My middle name is "Maurice", which means dark skinned or Moorish I'm not even sure that my parents actually knew this at my birth, but I embrace it today. Today in America you see all different shades of dark skinned people, with different facial features and hair textures passing off as African Americans. True, some of this is from race mixing, but the real truth is that, all so-called Black people in America are of African descent. We're from Asia as well. My older brother knew this as well so he didn't have a problem marrying a full blooded Navajo woman. My daughter has the Native American nose, and hair, as do my sisters, and as did both of my Grandmothers. Moors arrived here thousands of years before Columbus, and we're considered to be high achievers because we know our history, and we've never sat around waiting for others to tell us who we are or where we came from. I AM NOT LOST.Every race and creed of people in this country have a proud history of accomplishments of what their people did before they came to America, except the so-called Negro or Black man.That because most of us still don't know who we really are. My brothers in Egypt who built the pyramids had "KNOW THYSELF" inscribed on the bottom stones If the so-called Black in America truly knew who we really were, we still would not be in the conditions that we live in, as a people, today. Black on Black crime is nothing more than he continuation of the "Willie Lynch".. Willie Lynch was a slave trader that taught Europeans in America to separate the slaves from their families, relatives, and those that spoke the same language. Separate, then teach them to compete with one another, fight with one another and hate one another.Those that did not obey were "LYNCHED" in front of the others by the slave masters.Today the Welfare system has done the same thing to the so-called Negro. The man is uneducated, thus unemployed, and the Mother cannot get a Welfare check if the man is not in the home. To this day, I've never been on Welfare. In my most humbled opinion, I truly believe that the Welfare system has truly crippled several generations of Black people in America, while there is still a need for it because of an unbalanced educational system in this country.

In the above caption of this post, you see the names,Chinese,Filipino, Asia,Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.These people were mostly categorized as Oriental. Oriental is now considered to be offensive by them, because that the name was given to them not by themselves, but by European, and it has now been dismissed.You cannot call an Asian an "Oriental" today and not be corrected.They're an upright and proud people

Many of my black friends have pointed out to me that there is no way to point out their race without being considered "racist." I tried calling them "black," they called me a racist. I tried calling them "African American," they cry "I'm not from Africa!" and call me a racist. Call them "Negro," and they threaten your life because it's too close to the other "N" word. Call them "Colored," and they recall days of segregation and call you a racist.

I think they just need to get the fuck over it. You've got to be identified as SOMETHING for the census...

what is truly ignorant is that anyone actually thinks that "negro" is insulting, but "black" isn't.

I once had an "african-american/black/negro" Spanish student who got really mad when I was teaching them the colors.
blanco = white
rojo = red
negro = black

"ooooh Mr Reed! you better ERASE that word!"
She literally said "that word is too close to the N-word, I think it is racist to teach that in school." (actually, this is the translation from the Ebonix original)

I had to have the principal (who was black) explain to her that the word "negro" is NOT a bad word.

First off the people who should be really angry are the vast majority of ethnic groups living here in the America that are only given "white" as a choice--seriously by the logic of people who are bitching about the term negro being on the census everybody who is white should be pissed off there is only one choice for them to check off--when just like everybody else--white skin comes in a variety of shades and via a multitude of intermingled DNA throughout history.

I have a close friend who is in her 70's and does not like the term African American because her heritage is Jamaican and she does not now nor ever has had a desire to go to Africa and does not identify Africa as her "homeland".

I also have a friend who does not view himself as Native American--he is Sioux.

So actually to refer to ANY group of people as hyphenated Americans based on their skin color is, I think, offensive, derogatory, ignorant, and shows our nation's extreme arrogance and racism.

Why can't people who have lived here for generations simply be called Americans? (because to me it is much more based in slavery and racism to constantly remind someone that their ancestors were picked up from their homes, auctioned off, and forcibly brought over here from Africa to be slaves by continuing to label them African-American)

White pretty broad, but why is it the only option to just have one word? Are they inferring that if you weren't "Black" you might accidentally pick "White" by mistake or something? I'm not quite sure why the three are even grouped up in the top together. Why we even still use the title "African American" "American Indian" and why do they have "Alaska Native" up there is that a very popular option? A lot about this sounds like whomever wrote this is just following rules, or they're just not that intelligent.. Possibly both.

Its not intended to be racist.

We live in a country where many people only speak spanish.
What is the spanish word for BLACK?
Its Negro...

It amazes me that some folks immediately scream racism without giving it a minutes thought.

How many other forms do the government use that feature spanish words or phrases?

ALL OF THEM!

shut the f^&k up plz

This is ridiculous. Since when is the word Negro a bad word. It's a proper noun. It has nothing to do with racism. It's only because of the ignorant newer generation in the USA that the word has become bastardized and derogatory in perception. In Latin countries and other countries around the world, it's a common word and it has nothing to do with derogatory intent.

Perhaps the word is antiquated, however if you're going to get upset over this word, then you should be upset over the word black, cause that's simply what Negro means. Actually this word provides more clarity than African American. African American is the term I don't like. Any ethnicity can be African American.

Somebody better contact the United Negro College Fund to tell them that their use of the word "Negro" in their name is racist and insensitive. Here's a link to their "Contact Us" page http://www.uncf.org/contactus/index.asp for any of the well meaning people here who would like to make this clear to the UNCF.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

It's just a word that would help our our census caculations. The word's a big deal because black people (not "African-American" because not all black people are from Africa) make it a big deal. Just check in the box and move on with your lives as non-racially sensitive as possible.

Perhaps this subject requires just a little educated thinking?

First of all is this the first time "Negro" is being used in a U.S. Census or has it always been used?

The term Negro is the accepted term used in many other countries as the census will be addressing many immigrants it is only logical to use a term that may apply to a immigrant group.

Also the very word Negro does in fact mean the color black in many languages spanish for example, any spanish speaking people filling out the form would recognize this to mean black.

As for it having any derogatory or "racist" connotations I suggest that this might only occur in the minds of certain individuals who do not comprehend the global international context in which it is being used here in an official government document.

If some black people want to be called Negro it is excellent that they have the option to choose it. ""Black or African American" person is "A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as 'Haitian' or 'Negro' can be used in addition to 'Black or African American.'" The term is not being used as a negative weapon against anyone, or a group. If someone wants to be identified as that term the government is being accommodating, and sensitive, to their needs.

In honor of the program Jersey Shore, I submit that Guido and Guidette be considered for the next census. If we are going to play the "What do I identify myself as" game, I have the video footage of descriptions in the cast's own words. :)

Still, to many the word "Negro" is a throwback to Lester Walton's days, to slavery, Jim Crow laws and segregation.

While, yes, it has that unfortunate affiliation, it's just the Spanish word for black so if you keep that context in mind it's less "unpleasant" then before.

on a side note on the Spanish version of the Census Survey wouldn't the the first choice of "Black" become translated to Negro? So then there, would be to options of "negro"to choose from. I think that would be a little confusing, don't you?

Using discrimination policies in government doesn't work. Those who classify and divide people based on skin color are the real racists. In fact, those who think in terms of skin color are the ones who are racist. I don't have to tell the government what color my hair is, why do we need these separation policies that only divide humanity further?

I say we end race based legislation and move towards a freer society, one where skin color is unimportant and where a person's character is the backbone for personal identification.

Peace

Ouch...that's really bad. According to the image, what does the state consider is the difference between black, african american and negro? Why did it list all of those? With that rationale, 'white' should really have been 'white, caucasian, honkey' or something. What on earth!

A little Spanish lesson today:

Blanco - WHITE
Negro - BLACK
Roho - RED
Pardo - BROWN, BEIGE, OR GREY
Amarelo - YELLOW
Mulatto - BLACK AND WHITE or a mix of races

For example, Obama is mulatto, not oreo.
If you are a Black American, you are negro or "black", you're not a n*gger.

Just because a person is black, this doesn't qualify them for being a n*gger. A n*gger can be of any race listed above who possesses the behavior of a n*gger. There are many sophisticated and intelligent black people who don't fall into this stereotype, and there are white people who are n*ggers. The derogatory term and usage n*gger is used to describe a behavior rather than a race. That's just like if someone calls a white person a "cracker" just because their skin tone is white. The truth is that the white person probably never cracked a whip on black person for generations, and just because a person is white doesn't mean that they're a "redneck" or "white trash". The spin was to differentiate between n*ggers, by using the term wigger, to imply a color to it, wigger beginning with a "w" for white and "n" for black, but n*gger encompasses all who behave in an undesirable or contemptible way, to show hatred for the other person's actions rather than race. To specifically mock race, the term darkie or blackie are used, just like whitey or honky... (don't ask me the origin of honky!).

To say that an American Indian is pardo, or brown, is not necessarily the same as someone who is Latin American or Portugese, or that an American Indian is from India. To call an American Indian a mulatto decries their unique culture and is insulting.

So you see, the description is by color and classifies the different races that make up that color. White people are such a mixture of races, that to simply say Caucasian isn't really accurate.

When I fill out mine I am going to draw a line through all choices and write in "American!" If I travel to any other country in the world they will not refer to me as White or Black, they will refer to me as American. Some one ask why they did not include Native American, Too many of us AMERICANS believe that if we were born in America, to American Citizens we are Native to America! Now if they want to add a box to check regarding our skin color perhaps it would be a bit more useful. If not, they should include the extra 3 or 4 pages of decent descriptors so i can check all that apply to my blood line as well as some kind of limit on just how far back they wish for us to trace it.

Would "ethnicity" be a possible alternative to "race?" There could be boxes for all of the continents, then a space for further description. Many of the people in the United States might choose the "North American" box, then optionally self-identify as Jewish, European, African, etc. Or maybe more people would like to choose their continent of heredity first and fill in a more specific national or cultural identity.

In this day and age, I would like to see a justification for this parameter in the first place. Seems to me it's either a curiosity factor or else it has to be a means for discrimination.

It could be worse-they could have used "colored"...

we are talking about race here, not color...I understand that people still define race as a color, but there will be absolutely zero unanimity if we continue to use terms such as negro as well as use colors to define our race.

because the other two options are simply not descriptive enough?

this is not constructive at all.

also, why are we still defining our race with words of color - why 'white', why 'black', why not tan or brown or yelllowish or pale...I am white-ish pink, but of european descent, and there is no option for that...

Rioght. I see alot of comments about this, when in reality, inly "Negro's" can commen ts on the words implications. We white people can't